Improvement in inkstands



UNITED STATES JAMES S. RANKIN, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT IN INKSTANDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 122,909, dated January 23, 1872.

SPECIFICATION. T o all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAivIEs S. RANKIN, of the city of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain Improvements in Inkstands, of which the following is a specification:

Nature of the Intention.

General Description.

In the drawing, Figure I is a front elevation of my device as inserted in a recess of a desk or table. Figs.II, III, and IV are perspective views of the cover, ink-well, and bed piece separated; Fig. V, a central vertical longitudinal section of the whole; Fig. VI, a central vertical cross-section of the same; Fig. VII, a perspective view of the slotted disk detached.

A represents the ink-well or reservoir, which may be of spherical, curvilinear, rectangular, or any suitable form-that represented in the drawing being a prolate spheroid and having a mouth or opening, n, on one side. B is the bed or socket piece, provided with a rectangular base, b, which is intended to fit into a suitable recess cut in the desk, as shown in Fig. I. A socket or concave recess, G, is formed in this base, which is of such depth and form as toreceive the lower half of the ink-well A. When the latter is thus placed the openin g c is brought opposite to a vertical disk or trap, c, secured to a shaft, d, which shaft extends out horizontally through the front of the base-piece and is provided with a small thumb or friction wheel, d. By turning the latter the disk is revolved until the edge of its slot c coincides with the mouth a of the ink-reservoir to allow access thereto. The disk is so placed that only one-half is above the top of the desk. The cover D has an inner concave surface, to conform to the upper half of the ink-well, over which it ts. The outer convex surface may be formed in any graceful and convenient pattern. The cover is secured over the well A and to the bed piece B by means of two rods, c e, having screw-threads cnt upon one end, by which they are secured in the lower edge of the cover, while the opposite lower end of each is bent to form a rectangular hook, e', which is turned under the bottom of the bed-piece, as shown in Figs. I and V, thereby securing the parts together. Grooves f f are formed in the sides of the bed piece to receive the rods e e, l and at the upper side, where the grooves meet the flange or bearing B, they are elongated into slots ff to allow the hooked ends of the rods e e to be withdrawn in removing the cover without unscrewing them from the latter. A semicircle is cut from the cover to admit the disk c, and the latter is provided with a cloth or felt packing upon its inner side to render its contact with the cover and other parts dust-tight when closed. The whole device is inserted in a suitable opening cut in the top of the desk or table.

When it is desired for any cause to open the device it is simply raised from the recess, the hooked ends e of the rods e are turned so as to bring them in the plane of and allow them to pass through the slots ff', and the cover is withdrawn.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Securing the cover D by means of rods e e provided with screw-threads at the ends attached to the cover, and with rectangular hooks e e at the other ends, in the manner shown.

2. The disk c, having a semicircular opening, c', when combined with a shaft, d, cover D, and bed piece B, as herein shown and set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: JAMES S. RANKIN.

J. B. GRIFENHAGEN, GEO. W. MIATT. 

